Corn-planter.



A. l. FELSMAN. CORN PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18. |915.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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, A. l. FELSMAN.

CORN PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED ris. 18. 1915.

Pafented'Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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v./:lLBERl J'. FELSMAN, 0F MACOMB, ILLXNOS.

CSRN-PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 23, i915..

Application filed February 18, 1915. Serial No. 9,103.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. FnLsMAN, citizen of the United States,residing at Macomb, in the county of McDonough and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Corn-Planters; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in corn planters and has for itsmain object to improve upon the construction of devices of thischaracter to such an extent as to eliminate the use of the usual checkwire now employed on most types of planters.

To the above end, a further object is to equip the machine with meanswhereby certain adjustment may be made should it be found that the rowsof grain are not being planted in alinement.

lilith these general objects in View, the invention resides in certainnovel features of construction and combination hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a corn planter constructed in accordancewith the invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section as seen along theplane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an end view; andFig. 4i is a central vertical longitudinal section as seen along theplane indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, this view showing a normallyidle gear, to be described, disposed to active position.

Tn these drawings, constituting a part of the application, a cornplanter is shown comprising the usual main frame F which is supported bythe usual wheels 7 and whose forward end is hingedly connected to thetransverse hopper frame f.' To the latter, an appropriate form ofVtongue T, a

lpair of hoppers H and a pair of seed shoes S are connected in any wellknown manner forming no part of the present invention. lt is essential,however, that the hoppers be disposed to discharge seed into the shoes Sand that a transverse rock shaft R, or the equivalent thereof, beprovided for intermittently actuating the seed controlling mechanism. Inthe present case, the two ends of the shaft E are shown as havingdepending cranks C, these cranks being adapted for a purpose to behereinafter described.

ln addition to the parts so far briefly mentioned, the planter isprovided with an upright lever L which, when rocked in the properdirection, will raise the hopper frame, while disposition of said leverto an opposite position will lower said frame as is well known to thoseskilled in the art to which the invention relates. Although such a leverL is preferably provided, it is to be understood that any appropriatemeans for raising and lowering the hopper' frame could well be provided,and that ,if necessary, such means could probably be disi pensed with.

Secured by bolts l or other appropriate fasteners to the outer sides ofthe two shoes S, is a pair of longitudinally extending horizontal bars2, the rear ends of which are forked as seen at 3, while their forwardends are notched on their inner sides as indicated at d (see moreparticularly Fig. 2). Disposed within the forked rear ends of the bars2, is a pair of rear guide sprockets 5, while a pair of similarsprockets 6 is revolubly mounted in the notches 1, the two sprockets 6being, in the present case, keyed to a transverse shaft 7 which overliesthe two shoes as clearly shown in the longitudinal section.

Passing around the front and rear sprockets 5 and 6, is a pair offlexible endless operating members 8, these membersv being here shown inthe form of sprocket chains having al plurality of earth engaging pro-`iections 9, these projections being adapted to prevent slipping of thelower stretches of the chains, as the same travel upon the ground whenthe planter is propelled thereover.

By reference to the various figures of the drawing, it will be seen thatthe upper stretches of the operating members 8 are spaced laterally to aslight extent from the cranks C and that each of these members isprovided with a pair of inwardly projecting trips or tappets l0 whichare spaced equidistantly on said members. It therefore follows that asthe planter is drawn forwardly the tvo trips l0 on the two chains, willintermittently rock the shaft LR, thus intermittently discharging seedinto the shoes S. In connection with the mechanism so far described,however, l preferably provide a pair of combined land marking andindicating fingers 1l on each member 8, these fingers being so disposedupon said `ed onthe previous trip. ln case it is found that the lingersll do not aline with the marks previously made, however, and in order toproperly aline said fingers with said mai-hs at the beginning of eachrow, it becomes expedient to provide means whereby the twoendlessmembers 8 may bev moved over the ground, irrespectively ofthe move mentsof tiey planter. For this purpose, l

Y have keyed a bevel 2O on the transverse shaft 7 and have provided anadditional bevel gear 2l. .to be thrown into mesh with Vsaid 20, thegear 21 being keyed upon a longitudinally extending shaft 22 whichrevolubly mounted in appropriate bearings and whose rear end is providedwith a hand wheel 23 located adjacent the drivers seat. The shaft 22 isnormallymoved rearwardly to Ya certain extent by a coil spring 2st, todisengage the gear 21 from the gear 20, thus allowing the latter and thetransverse shaft 7 upon which it is keyed to rotate without impartingrotary movement to Vthe shaft 22. ldlhen, however, it is necessary tomove the members 8 over the ground, independently of the movements ofthe planter, the shaft 22' is forced forwardly to engage its gear 21with the gear 20, whereupon the last-named gear, the shaft 'T and themembers 8, may be either locked against movement in one direction, ormay be rotated in the otherdirection, for the purpose of alining thefingers ll with the previously made marks. lt will therefore be seen,that the various rows of seed may be checkedy in parallel rows extendingboth ways across the field.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be seen that comparatively simpleconstruction has been provided for carrying out the objects of theinvention, yet that a machine constructed in accordance with thedrawings and description, will possess a number of advantageousfeatures. Among these. features, is the fact that the positions oftheindicating fingers ll in respect to the previously made marks, can beascertained a considerable length of time i before the seed is to bedropped, thus allowing ample time for making any adjustments of themembers 8 which may be necessary.`

l Another advantageous feature of the device, is the fact that thevarious parts thereof may be applied to practically any common type ofcorn planter without the necessity of altering the same to anyappreciable degree.

claim:

1. The combination with a planter having mechanism for controlling thedischarge of seed therefrom, and an endless flexible operating memberfor actuating said mechanism to discharge the seed intermittently,

`the lower stretch of said member being adapted to travel on the groundwhen the plantel' is propelled thereover; of an indicator carried bysaid endless operating member, and means under the control of thcoperator for sliding the aforesaid lower stretch of said memberforwardly and rearwardly over the ground independently of the movementof the planter, whereby to control the actuation of the seed dischargemechanism until the indicator is disposed at a predetermined point.

2. The combination with a planter having mechanism for controlling thedischarge of seed therefrom, and an endless flexible operating memberfor actuating said 1nechanism to discharge the seed intermittently, thelower stretch of said member being adapted to travel on the ground asthe planter is propelled thereover; of a wheel around which the flexibleoperating member passes, and means under the control of the operator forrotating said wheel in either direction, whereby the aforesaid membermay be moved forwardly and rearwardly over the ground independently ofthe movement of the planter, and an indicator carried by said member.

3. The combination with a planter having mechanism for controlling thedischarge of seed therefrom, and an endless liexible operating memberfor actuating said mechanism to discharge the seed intermittmitly, thelower stretch of said member being adapted to travel on the gro-und asthe planter is propelled thereover; of a wheel around which the flexibleoperating member passes, a gear rotatable with said wheel, an addi.-tional gear disposed adjacent the aforesaid gear but normally out ofmesh therewith, and a longitudinally shiftablc and rotatable shaftcarrying said additional gear, whereby the same may be thrown into meshwith the first named gear and rotated to adjust the operating member,and an indicator carried by said member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sot my hand inv presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

' ALBERT J. FELSMAN. lVitnesses:

lnAnLns W. FLACK, FRANK L. LEFTRIDGE.

Copies 0f this patent may be obtained for nve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington. D. C.

